Toyota’s growth affecting quality?
March 14, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
By now the world knows Toyota has a very solid reputation when it comes to quality and reliability. However with recent reports of quality control issues surfacing around the world, the company’s president, Katsuaki Watanabe, has been forced to admit that it’s rapid growth which is affecting quality.
Toyota built 9,497,754 cars last year, beating GM for the first time in 77 years. So the drop in quality should come at no surprise, as it’s reasonable to expect that as the numbers grow, something has to give! But Mr Watanabe disagrees.
In a recent interview with Automotive News he was adamant that the company’s rapid growth in the last decade should not be used as an excuse. He is also fighting to ensure that Toyota doesn’t suffer from “big company disease“.
Fortunately for future Toyota buyers, problems have been admitted and are in the process of being fixed. Mr Watanabe also stated that he has personally delayed several cars by up to six months to ensure all quality issues are dealt with.
As for the current problems (even the small ones), Toyota engineers are going over each issue with attention to detail in order to find the cause and a permanent solution.
Can Toyota reclaim its title as the king of reliability?
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i know toyota get rid of that ugly radio faceplate in nearly all of your cars and put an integreated one in like europe and japan
Not all Toyotas are build the same…for instance the build quality of local Camry is terrible.
WTF this cant be….really! Mere Toyota having problems! Today will be like GROUNDHOG DAY…..go the responses and watch the comments!
Its not problems for Toyota as its the head gaskets fault from supplier so thus it is not a crap shyte engine as someone else’s fault (but if another car maker had same problem then how is it shyte?). Its marvelleous what one can dream up and if you “believe” it becomes “true”. Truth and reality is Toyota is having hassles and it is impacting them! Fancy delaying cars due to panic about reliability? Its is far easier to get to the top….another thing staying there!
Having owned numerous cars in the last 40 yrs of driving, including several Toyota’s (most from new) my experience is that Toyota’s reliability etc. is no better than most other Japanese manufacturers.
This “average” performance, the general dullness of most main stream Toyota products & the expense of any spares one needs to purchase, is sufficient to send me elsewhere when looking at a new car to purchase.
As a result the last Toyota I owned was a 97 Vienta & since I’ve always ended up purchasing a Mitsubishi, which is the equal of a Toyota in quality, a much more interesting drive & a better looker. After 5 previous Mits we now have an 03 Outlander & an 07 Lancer VRX.
If money was not a problem then I’d be driving an MY08 XJ6, which is as reliable as the best, looks gorgeous & goes like a rocket (for a big sedan)
My impression of quality extends beyond the normal door shutting with thunk or a fit in the interior it extends to whether the chassis has been designed to cope with a corner and a bump at the same time.
In that respect Toyota has never been about quality at all.
Toyota trades on its “reputation” for quality. Just look at the new corolla. Rubbish chassis,& worse still no esp to cover it up. its Fatter, heavier, slower thirstier and yet the toyota faithfull lap it up.
Toyota are treating you with contempt Australia. wake up!
No doubt the rose coloured spec TP wears will result in absolute denial that there are problems. In reality many in the industry will want to bring Toyota down. Most of the other manfacturers have similar problems, Vauxhall delayed the launch of the Antara (Captiva) due to problems.
hahaha.love the name.Mr Watanabe…..Watanabe what,something else???
Yep NM is going to be GOOD babe. To stay on top you need to be consistent and keep the passion,same with cars!hehehe.
Now just before all you little kiddies do the whole lets team up in the playground and act tough.
Esp. you Nm , mate are you 10 or something? your childish posts keep amusing me and then how you love to rave on along side him BM.. like seriously.. ?
“Fortunately for future Toyota buyers, problems have been admitted and are in the process of being fixed. Mr Watanabe also stated that he has personally delayed several cars by up to six months to ensure all quality issues are dealt with.”
I’d rather a delayed car that would come out better than one that is boasted about the BILLION$ thats put into it and yet has a few recalls to it.
As for the rest of you going on about chassis, quality etc yes as a matter of fact the lineup in Australia isn’t exactly the fanciest of the Toyota range. Ever travelled overseas? The Toyota range has plenty of rwd , awd models.. just a pity they aren’t released here as they have the Lexus brand for higher end models.
oh and NM you know the other day I was going past a construction site, what do you think I saw? every ute, van or car was a Toyota..
and there’s no need to racist either Bm..
It’ll be good indeed, because we’ve seen how the Is-f did, how the R35 GTR is doing, just a matter of time Toyota will get these minor issues resolved. I mean all those people ’still’ buying Toyotas, must be something to it.
Stop being so bloody serious Chaser…….racist? How???
Yeah the IS-F did ok but it still wont kick M3 arse,did you see the difference in the clips around a track Chaser,straight line speed doesn’t make a car good,and the interior in it is crap.
Toyota quality is FIRST-CLASS, but then so are all the other Japanses brands.Its the Japanese way.
Yes, BIGT hold back cars or even fully recall if it has a issue [TRD Aurion, RavV6] so at least it does it in the correct way.
At the end of the day BigT builds more cars than any other brand that punters want to buy.
Cheers
F-0
TP has changed his name to Chaser.
Then again, plenty have swallowed the Toyota Corporate Pie, and are choking on it without noticing.
“oh and NM you know the other day I was going past a construction site, what do you think I saw? every ute, van or car was a Toyota..” – Hahahaha – you probably drove around all day in your Starlet looking for the Toyota factory before you found it and saw this.
yes bm sure you’re joking , sure honey.. we’ll see how the Lf-a does, which is specifically based on a new chassis aimed at sports performance.
and no not TP here, (unless he’s Brisbane based too?) and Reckless1 I was actually on the bus going to uni. This was the construction site you see along the busway.
Rock on -
Chaser, not at all unusual for a construction company to have contracts with single supplies, for most things, including the vehicles they use. A local one here uses nothing but Nissans, so what, all it really means is that companies are on the lookout for good fleet deals.
Yeah fruitless one you have just confirmed your a total knob by your last comments! Toyota are in for quantity not quality… White goods all round!
The big cheese from Toyota is right. Growth is no excuse for poor quality.
However, GM’s poor quality has nothing to do with its size. It is the core company philosophy.
Chaser babe……sure Im joking? About what?
The LF-A wont go up against the M3 though,that will be the M6
Plus there still going to be behind the ball of BMW with only 500 hp……….next M6 will be over 400kws,so Lexus will still be playing catch up.
Oh TP where are u?
TP seems to arrive in the late afternoon. I hope this article won’t bring back TP’s reliability arguments.
Pretty sure , by judging the replies before TP and Guess whos’ replies that someone already has started the whole debate..
I think I’ve got a solution though, just don’t read the comments anymore :)
Rock on!
Its TP nightmare.Like Freddie Kluger
Chaser…….your talking in riddles babe no idea what your referring to?
chaser,
cool another uni going toyota lover that has never driven a hilux yet always claims they are the ducks nuts.
why? because toyotas marketing genius’s advertise them as being “unbreakable”.
mate i more than merely drive past a construction site every now and then. it is actually my business to attend them every day.
not every vehicle i see is a toyota like you claim. in fact there was not one toyota in the street i visited today now i think about it. the site i was actually on exhibited 3 fords and no toyotas. and the guy next door laying tiles had a kia pregio.
majority of the hilux’s are sold to fleets……simple.
also take a look around any major road works and what do you see? yep a “fleet” hilux
I would rather be a tad funny then be a porkchop like you Chaser.
Go put your hand on it outside the building sites as if you go there to look at what cars are there may I sternly say……………..get a life loser!
Chaser, your a deadset wally of the highest calibre. Only barely exceeded by other ill-informed armchair wannabes with bugger all life skills.
Kindly keep focussed to the topic as Iam sure you also are weaned up on Toyota’s and by the sound of it…..barely outta the sandpit!
You see Chaser….the void between your ears is obsessed with being outta of uni, maybe you also have a $100,000 job in first year out of uni. Your comment is stupid and baseless and obviously you need to rattle that head of yours to get some serious thoughts in there. This includes, and is not limited to, as follows: I have seen plenty of Ford utes, few Commodores but not heaps as “too” show pony, Hyundai’s, Tritons, Pregio’s, Toyota’s but not in volume you talk of!
I think you should check for callous’s on your hand (maybe you are ambidextrous as I suspect you on all rounder on many issues there) you have been dealt, as Iam sure that you have in down pat expertly! Just watch for blindness as it appears to have also effected your judgement!
yes I’m amused at your vocabulary NM, but phased .. not the slightest bit. This is usually your approach (more the reason I put down that line in there to begin with, the whole seeing toyotas at a construction site).
Mix in a few smart words and the whole ‘look at me I use big words’ mate you’re still a c**k , you can’t hide it.
>
cool another uni going toyota lover that has never driven a hilux yet always claims they are the ducks nuts.
why? because toyotas marketing genius’s advertise them as being “unbreakable”.
>
Correction , been helping my old man with his company business for several summers in the Middle East and the amount of construction (development) that goes on there is on a larger scale here. So don’t just assume mate, if I don’t know you, just remember you don’t know me.. On the topic of advertising we all know how well Holdenwoo advertises their cars aswell ok.
what can I say NM, you amuse me – no really you do. I love seeing how you ramble on and on with your virtual keyboard warrior sessions. Makes for a bit of enjoyment in my otherwise busy day. I’m glad that I get your attention ‘that’ much that you have to ponder that big narrow minded head of yours , to go on and put an essay for me to read here.
Keep focussed on the topic you ask? well congratuf**inlations coz thats exactly what I’ve been reading you ‘NOT’ do for the past few topics now. Who was starting the nonsense in the AMG (safe car and ambulance topic)? lets not forget the sheer arrogance you like to exhibit in your lengthy waste of cyberspace and human time, posts? – :D
You remind me of the business styled people who come in at stores and demand they be given attention or just have things done their way – but you know what? it only reveals how much of an arrogant c**k you really are.
oh do please rave on and on and on about whatever you’d like, you won’t get a reply out of me :)
Cmon Chaser let TP speak for himself. How many other Toyota loving personalities has he got?
I think u just did Chaser/TP.
I hope Taxpayers don’t ever have to foot the Bill to rescue u from the radicals whilst u and your Dad are cleaning up!
Wow, that was one hell of an attack on NM Chaser. Them uni profesers have taught you real good. I didnt agree with a single word of it but 10 points for entertainment value.
NM, are you going to even bother wasting yor breath with a rebutal?
Fair dinkum, Where the hell is TP when you want him?
CHASER/TP STATE: “….go on and put an essay for me to read here.”
NM RESPONSE: Mine is an essay…..whats your thesis reply this topic? Those who boast need it most! I will let you make an idiot out of yourself as doing a credit to that end!
People, people…settle down and get back on to the question posted at the end of the article.
I’m not sure who wrote the article but I have to ask if people agree that Toyota was, before it’s current woes, “king of reliability”? I’m sure we can all recall studies run by J D Power that said Lexus was at the top of the heap but while Toyota owns Lexus, Toyota branded cars aren’t built like Lexus branded cars.
Personally I wouldn’t bet the farm against Toyota improving. While they are masters at marketing, they wouldn’t have built such a following without actually being able to provide consistent products that people are willing to buy again and again. Boring yes but thats another topic and please don’t raise the old chestnuts that most people are stupid or don’t care about what they drive.
wow, did u 2 crap your nappies? i think you need it changed, have a bottle and nap time! this is a car site so stop getting personal and stick to bagging crapodores like a normal person.
I’ve stated this a couple months back…
The rapid growth did affect quality overall… but its not all Toyota. Contracted Suppliers is responsible for half the problem. Meeting dates and beating each other in releasing new cars to the market is one reason to this. The addition of new suppliers that are “new” to the Toyota process is HUGE factor in quality issues.
How would I know? Because I’ve whinged and stated many times, I deal with suppliers a lot, its HUGE part of the job.
And I can probably safely say, not affecting any confidential agreements, that a lot of problems have been rectified, of course not all will be determined and counter measured but Toyota is putting a lot of effort in “ironing” out the issues.
And that comment about Toyota having similar quality as Japanese manufacturers…
How obvious do you want to be?
Back in Uni, engineering especially autmotive/manufacturing streams have units specifically studying Toyota’s process. TPS, JIT etc…. all studied by engineering students as benchmark process for the industry. In concept it was easy to understand, seemed simple… now I’m actually in the field and employed by the company… everything is much more complex and “consumers” will NEVER get it… of course… you guys just pay the money… marketing and the dealerships and “brocures” and reviews are all your reference…. thats it. Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan etc, the industry in Japan all share knowledge and they help each other. They respect each other.. as corny as that sounds, its actually true… same suppliers for a lot of parts etc… most if not all of them use process system that was derived from Toyota….
The comment about Lexus… again, people simply brush it off against the Euros, as they want to feel good about their purchase. But Lexus considering their experience in this echelon of cars, is going to dominate this category… from their, watch them target the exotics and 100K+ range and do a good job their also…. you have to compare in context and rate of improvement and Lexus/Toyota has got all the answers at the moment.
On my very first day as employee, the first thing we read was the policy… and Toyota’s policy had a bit in it where it stated “Respect others and respect the customer” etc.. thats one of their outlines in the policy… then we compared it to GM’s…. GM had a line that said “… to satisfy company share holders”
One base their everything around customer…. the other… making money… again its actually not as naive as it sounds. Even the promotion process is different, GM pays their executives based on projects and success of that project… they get huge bonuses. Japanese companies in the other hand, do not have the same “bonuses”… they do get benefits based on experience and loyalty to the company. But successful results is expected.. as opposed to american based companies, rewards based on the amount of sales a car does. The hard working people at the plants are also treated and rewarded the same way as white collar employees… one reason I just have so much more respect for the japanese manufacturers. Although, I am sure due to recent success and trends, GM and Ford have made huge strides to replicate some of the methods…
I am not surprised about problems with Toyotas. My parents always complain about problems with the new Camry’s radiator, oil leaks and brakes. And they were shocked when the better half and I chose something else.
Hey Jamison. If you work at Toyota, could you please suggest them to manufacture “things that make you go mmmmm” instead of “things that make you go zzzZZZZ”
Toyotas reliability has slipped slightly… but it still miiiiles ahead of Ford and Holden, I think the company would have to be in receivership to get that bad.
TP even though they are closely related Quality and Reliability are 2 different issues…
This article is about Quality which can effect Reliability
Quality: the standard of parts or componentry used in the assembly ofa particular car.. as well as the way the part or the car is assembled; that is Fit and Finish which then effects how long the item will last or function
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.. the more weak links you have the more likely the whole car is going to fail
Reliability: you can have the most technologically advanced Toyota [oxymoron] which has a number of computer problems causing it to breakdown etc
Yet I could have an Old Holden or Ford without EFI etc whih starts first time everytime and gets me where i want to go as there is less moving parts and therefore less to go wrong
NASA spent billions trying to make a Pen that would work in space… the russians took a Pencil
This Is not just about the company itself (Toy-mota) losing reputation for quality, I really think the people who act like TP affect Toymota’s image trying to defend or say it’s the best manufacturer because it sells more car’s, just lacks so much quality…
“OH WHAT A DISEASE”
39 comments and rising…why is anyone surprised? No, seriously?
It’s no news. Anyone who’s had real life experience such as myself will know that the cars can have their problems just like any other make. I know they’re better than average, but no more than that. Certainly not perfect.
Yes Ford is No1, Im the reason why Toyotas reputation is slipping hahaha. How old are you, seriously? In high school yet? (Doubtful). Toyota is going as strong as ever, the general population who dont follow cars aernt aware of the MINOR issues Toyota have had recently… and even those who have know Toyota have acted correctly, far better then say Ford and Holden who will sell a defective vehicle with a smile on their face.
Everybody, I’ve made a ground-breaking apology to TP on the Mondeo Tdci thread. Nobody before has done this.
We should all consider such actions from time to time as a little humility will go a long way to creating peace and harmony.
yeah fair call ^^
I take my obnoxious statements back. We’re all car enthusiasts, bound to have different views – no point of boiling it over.
My apologies Nm.
Peace.
I prefer disharmony
ok Golf ill swallow some of your advice…..
here goes……..
TP,
mate im sorry that you are too biased to have a civil discussion about the auto industy or vehicles in general.
i also feel really sorry for you that toyota offers you no real desirable vehicles, and am even more sorry that you have to display such a bitter attitude towards anything that isnt a toyota
See, AndrewM? Didn’t hurt a bit.
yes i suppose not
TP isn’t an enthusiast he is a Toyota Lover nothing more!
Maybe Toyota has slipped a bit, but while i love to bag their product ( my favorite line is that they are about as exciting as a sao biscuit), i will admit that on the whole, they are of excelent quality and reliability is unquestionable. That said, I dont think they are any better than any of the other Jap brands or for that matter the korean brands except for the Holdenroos which are crap.
I am going to take the unusual step though of agreeing with TP, at least Toyota address recall issues. How the VE commondore can have so many recall issues and still win wheels car of the year has me stuffed.